Mac Jones still has one believer left on the Patriots this season

Now that Bailey Zappe has been the starting quarterback for the Patriots through four games, and we are getting further removed from the Mac Jones era in New England, most have already moved on from the former first-rounder, believing his time with the team will soon come to an end.

Although there are conflicted feelings about Zappe as the QB1, it seems fair to assume Jones will be elsewhere next season or, at the very least, the backup to whoever takes over under center in 2024. There has been a lot of speculation regarding his stance within the team, from how his teammates feel about him to how the coaches view him, neither of which has been too flattering.

But even though he's surely upset about being demoted, as any player in his position would be, he has noticeably been a great teammate on the sideline and appears very supportive of Zappe despite the possibility of tension due to his replacing him on the field.

On top of that, Jones appears to still have one substantial cheerleader on the coaching staff, as Bill O'Brien heaved praise on him when speaking to the media on Tuesday morning.

"I feel good about Mac Jones. I really do. I think Mac Jones is a smart guy. He's a very hard worker. He's really done a good job in this situation here of being a good teammate. Look, these are things that happen in the course of a lot of careers. You have some ups and downs. He's approached it the right way. I believe in Mac. I think Mac is going to be just fine."

With so much negativity about Jones swarming the internet and media, it's good to hear that someone like O'Brien still views him fondly and believes in his abilities. It seemed like he had also developed some deep connections with his teammates, and maybe behind closed doors, they are more openly supportive. But it's important to hear it publicly since the narratives surrounding Jones are not the most pleasant and could make it difficult for him to start over with a new team.

And although this support from O'Brien is good to hear, it also makes you question the deeper meaning to what he's saying.

Is this the offensive coordinator's way of expressing he still wants to see Jones as the Patriots quarterback in the future?

Could his words actually indicate he knows that he won't be on the team for much longer?

Despite the overwhelming number of people who have already moved on from him ever playing quarterback for the Patriots again, the potential Jones showed in his rookie season is undeniable, and the impacts of the last two seasons seem to be the basis for his regression.

Whether he's being coached by the staff on the Patriots or another team next season, he really could be a viable quarterback for a team in the future.

His tenure in New England has been unfortunate and how it got to this point could be argued for days, and perhaps it should be studied one day. However, there is always a need for quarterbacks in the NFL, and it's hard to imagine Jones not being utilized in some way by any of the 32 teams for the rest of his professional career.

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